Hamiltons Crossing Va June 15th 1863

Dear Father & mother
I take my pen in hand to inform
You that I am well and hope when
these Few lines comes to hand my Find
You enjoying the same Blessing I recived
a letter From You last week and I
answerd it Right off but I was a
Fraid that You would not Git my
letter I would Write an other one
We have bin a Laying in the Breast works
For 9 Days Expecting Yankies evrry moment
and they left night before Last and Crossed
the river With out having to Fight them
now our Pickets are on the Banks of
the Rhappohannock and we are a laying
back in a Piece of wood about a
half a mile From the Breast work we
got order to march the Night of the 5th
a bout 10 o Clock and had to march all
night till Day Light and then we got
in the Breat work we are ar
Fareing splendid now we get a ½ a
pound of Bacon to the man and 1 1/8 lb of
Flour and there is 5 or 6 suttler
Stores in sight of where we are
and we can get 5 onions to the
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Dollar and we can By cake and
cider and Goober peas and the way we
make them get is a sight Father You
can do just as You please a bout
the money but I reacon You had better
take half of it but I tell You it
goes mightly a gin the Grain For I think
he could better pay it all than For
us to have to stay out here at only
Eleven Dollars a month and Fight For his property
And him staying at home a makeing everry
thing he can a speculating but if such be
Fare What will be come of this world
so Just do as You please about it
and I shall never say a word
I must Bring my letter to a
Close By saying Write soon and Fail
Not I remain You most affectionate
Son Till Death William A Tesh
To Moses Tesh and Family